Texas | Former death row inmate Clinton Young released on bond

Former death row inmate Clinton Lee Young has been released on bond, after almost 20 years on death row.

Young was released Thursday on a $150,000 bond after being transported in early November back to Midland County to await his new trial.

The Clinton Young Foundation posted a video on its Facebook page with the caption "It’s not a win until my feet touch grass. After 20 years on death row, Clinton was finally released on bond today."

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Sept. 22 tossed a capital murder conviction and granted a new trial for Young, the death row inmate who was convicted by a Midland County jury in 2003, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram article. 

Young was sentenced to death for killing Doyle Douglas, 41, and Samuel Petrey, 52, for the use of their vehicles during a 48-hour crime spree. 

Petrey was kidnapped in his hometown of Eastland and killed in an oilfield near Midland.

The appeals court overturned Young’s conviction because of a revelation that then-assistant district attorney Ralph Petty, who helped prosecute Young, was also moonlighting as a judicial clerk for the same trial.

Former death row inmate Clinton Young talks about first moments out on bond

Clinton Young is finally home after spending nearly 20 years on death row.

The 38-year-old, who was being held at the Midland County Detention Center since last September, posted bond on Thursday. Previously, Young was held on death row in Livingston.

A video shared by the Clinton Young Foundation shows Young touching grass with his bare feet on Thursday.

“It’s not a win until my feet touch grass,” he says.

It’s a breath of fresh air for Young, who spent two decades in solitary confinement.

In 2003, a Midland County jury sentenced Young to death on charges of murdering two people.

Young has maintained his innocence. He claims his co-defendants framed him. On the phone Friday night, Young talked about his time behind bars.

“I was on death row for over 20 years for a crime that I didn’t commit,” he said. “I had no physical contact with my friends or family. I was in solitary confinement for over 20 years… facing death.”

In 2017, Young was set to be executed. But a significant discovery stopped it from ever happening.

A prosecutor working Young’s case was found to have been working as a clerk for the judge presiding over Young’s trial. The overlapping employment was not disclosed.

Because of that, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals vacated Young’s murder conviction and death sentence. The prosecutor involved would ultimately forfeit his legal license.

Moreover, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said Young was denied the right to a fair trial and an impartial judge.

Prosecutors are now deciding whether to retry Young’s case or to dismiss it.

For Young, who says he is appreciative of the trust given to him by the criminal justice system which allowed him to post bail, he is taking everything slowly.

“Just being able to touch grass and to look at the sun without looking through prison bars, I mean, man, it’s a blessing. It’s overwhelming,” Young said on the phone. “I am still processing everything. So it’s kind of hard to find the right words.”

Since bonding out of jail, Young was also able to reunite with his younger sister.

“Yesterday was the first time I hugged my baby sister in a long time. So that was a blessing. I’ve had a wide range of emotions. I’m still taking everything in,” Young said.

Thousands of supporters are following Young’s case closely through the work done by the Clinton Young Foundation. It was those supporters who helped raise enough funds to cover 15% of Young’s $150,000 bond.

“We’re very grateful for everyone who supports him, helps him, and believes in his innocence,” said Merel Pontier, the legal director of the Clinton Young Foundation.

Pontier said those who are interested in learning more about Young’s case can watch a documentary available on YouTube and on Amazon Prime, titled, “Innocent on Death Row: Clinton Young’s Story.”

A spokesperson for the County of Midland said Friday that the county’s courts will not be responsible for Young’s trial. Instead, the case was assigned to the Dawson County District Attorney’s Office, which declined to comment on the case because of its ongoing nature.

Sources: mrt.com, yourbasin.com Mercedes Cordero, Rob Tooke, January 21-22, 2022